Wednesday, June 22, 2011

At her friend Ivy's behest, Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful. But if Emily is expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems, she is wrong. Her host has also invited Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess who was once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves. What Emily believes will be a tedious evening turns deadly when Fortescue is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime.

Determined to right this terrible wrong and clear Robert's name, Emily begins to dig for answers, a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets. Not until she engages a notorious anarchist in a game of wits does the shocking truth begin to emerge: the price of exonerating Robert can be paid only by placing Colin in deadly peril. To save her fiancé, Emily must do the unthinkable: bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange.

Three Reasons Review

1.) Reasons you chose this book

This is the third book in the Lady Ashton series, and I am finally back on track with this series.

2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book

In this one, Emily and Colin are finally engaged. I was very happy for that. And that's pretty much where my happiness ended. Emily's behavior with and towards Colin seemed petty and not in line with the woman I loved in the previous book. She was uber jealous of the Countess and I felt as though some of her actions were out of character.

When Emily was trying to solve the murder mystery, then I liked her. How she spoke with people, put her life on the line, etc, that is what I am talking about. As always the HF elements were stunning, and Alexander does a fantastic job in transporting me to Vienna. For me, the background, and the mystery are what kept me reading this book, not the romantic aspect.

3.) Reasons you are recommending this book

I guess I would recommend this book, because it is the third in the series. Even though I was disappointed with aspects of it, it will not deter me from forging ahead with the next in the series. I should point out I read this book several months ago, so my memory may not be all that great. However, I would still recommend this one, because of the HF and mystery aspect. You will get a taste of late 1800s Victorian era.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

When Arkansas experiences a wave of rare fatal diseases, the CDC sends disgraced doctor Dave Richards to investigate, and he knows this is the case that could save his career. When he teams up with FBI agent Paula Mushari, Richards thinks he may have found the person who can help him find the answers. But as they dig deeper, they begin to get a sinister glimpse into what they are dealing with—a vengeful sect, led by the son of a late white supremacist, intent on destroying a nation. As Richards fights to save his job, he and Mushari must race against the clock to prevent a plague of catastrophic proportions.

My Thoughts:

This was quite the fast paced book. It was exciting, suspenseful, and quick. It reminded of the television show 24. You know, with Jack Bauer. Not just because of the plot, a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, but the fast pace, the characters who have flaws but are trying to do a good job, the bureaucratic nonsense; everything combined together would make a good TV show. It would probably have to be fleshed out more for the small screen though.

Anyway, the scenes in the book jump from place to place, but not that it makes you loose your place. Events are happening and the reader needs to be there. The dialogue is also short and quipped, again like a TV show. It adds to the fast feeling of the story.

As for the characters, we don't learn very much about Agent Mushari. She is a minority woman trying to climb the ranks for the FBI. She has the hots for Richards. That's it. I liked her, but she wasn't that developed. With respect to Dr. Richards, he is the guy you are pulling for. He has issues and his career is in the toilet. Then he stumbles upon something, and although he can improve his situation, he is more focused on stopping this plot. Even if he means he makes more enemies; people come first.

Again, this was a suspenseful read, and the pages just flew by. Not what I expected and I liked it. If there is a follow-up to this book, and there could be since the door is open, I would definitely read it. In a heart beat.

In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, Anne has found her most engrossing character yet. Cecily earned two monikers from her contemporaries: Rose of Raby for her fair-haired beauty and Proud Cis for her fierce loyalty and courage in the face of the many history-making events she experienced in her eighty years. This was a woman who could have been queen had her husband lived to win the day over Henry VI and his queen, Margaret of Anjou, in the winter of 1461.

History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of Ludlow Castle, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, Duke of York who she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match, and together they face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue.

All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her own hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and the kingdom. As civil war escalates between the cousins of Lancaster and York, Cecily will lose her love, her favorite brother and her dearest child. But in the end, she will watch proudly as her oldest son takes his father’s place at the head of a victorious army and is crowned at Westminster Abbey as King Edward IV.

My Thoughts:

Over the years I have read many books involving someone from the War of the Roses, but never have I read about Cecily Neville (York). Proud Cis always lurked on the periphery, letting her displeasure of her son's marriage to that Woodeville girl or her disdain of Margaret of Anjou be known. Always very proud and protective of her family, it seemed as though I would never really learn about who Proud Cis was and why, until now.

Queen By Right gives us Cecily Neville's story from when she was a little girl and the apple of her father's eye. She met her future husband, Richard of York, through her father's guardianship of the young future Earl. From there, Richard and Cecily became fast friends and then eventually married. History always describes them as a love match and this story shows us why. Richard and Cecily were truly best friends and lovers.

The book begins shortly after Richard is killed at Wakefield, and Cecily is remembering her life with Richard. The events that AE Smith chooses to tell bring life to Cecily and Richard. Smith made these two historical characters real for me. We grow with Cecily as she matures into a young woman, desperately trying to control her tongue and manners. We share Cecily's hopes and dreams, and her worries when she believes she may have steered her husband onto a dangerous path. But regardless of the outcome, Cecily will stand by Richard, through thick and thin. And to top it all off, they love each other deeply. Richard and Cecily are a strong powerful couple in a time when families were being torn apart. Smith's story made me feel for both of these strong individuals.

This book is definitely from the Yorkist point of view, but that only makes me want to read a book featuring the Lancastrian view. Also, knowing the history of Cecily's children later in life, made me wonder as to what was going through these children's minds as adults. Why would brother turn against brother? Or their family at all? Promises of power do corrupt I guess.

This was excellent book about a character I knew very little about. The pages went by quickly and I actually stopped reading it for a while because I didn't want it to end. Therefore, I highly recommend this book.

The book also includes an Author's Notes section and a Q&A with AE Smith that is very informative.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

At an intimate, festive dinner party in Seattle, six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate’s recovery from cancer. Wineglass in hand, Kate strikes a bargain with them. To celebrate her new lease on life, she’ll do the one thing that’s always terrified her: white-water rafting. But if she goes, all of them will also do something they always swore they’d never do—and Kate is going to choose their adventures.

My Thoughts:

This is one of those books that reminds you why women are so special. We are insightful and brutally honest with our closest friends, however when it comes to doing that with ourselves, we fall short. We need our friends, I mean our real friends, to sometimes step in with suggestions or tough love to put us back on our path. To make ourselves better and happy. The people we were meant to be.

The main thread of this story is Kate who has survived cancer. Through her journey Kate has learned that life should not be taken for granted. Face your fears because they are really not that bad in the grand scheme of things; not after you fight cancer. Live a joyful life as it were. Kate decides to challenge each of her friends with and the majority of the book are the stories of these friends and the challenges they must perform or overcome.

Although these challenges are specific, I think the themes they embody are issues that women generally experience, such as putting everyone and everything before themselves, denying ourselves something that will make us happy, living with grief because we think we have to. Sure, men deal with these issues also, however I think women tend to silently suffer or carry on as it were, like it's a normal part of life. I'm not saying we need to be selfish and deny our family dinner, but we are allowed to take a few moments for ourselves every now and then and not feel guilty about it.

Basically this is what I took away from this story. I may be totally off base, but at it's core Joy for Beginners is about living your life and having joy in it, whatever that may mean. Women need to be reminded to live; and men too. I'm not sexist! :-)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Hello Everyone! Please give a warm welcome to Anne Easter Smith, author of Queen By Right, as well as A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King's Grace.
So without further ado:

Welcome Anne and thanks so much for your time. I am loving your latest book, Queen by Right, and trying not to finish it, because I don’t want it to end.

So let’s get to some questions. Hope these are not too odd or boring for that matter.

1.) You have brought Cecily Neville to life so well, with her personality and actions that I wish I could travel back in time and meet with her as well. What is it about Cecily that makes her so lovable and inspiring? Is it possible there may be a bit of your personality in Cecily as she is portrayed in the book?

First of all, thanks for having me on your blog today, Jenny! I was inspired to write about Cecily while writing “Daughter of York.” She didn’t appear in “A Rose for the Crown” but loomed large over her sons Edward and Richard’s minds and actions. She was always spoken of with such reverence that I think I was just as intimidated by her as they seemed to be! But her character started to intrigue me and came clear in “Daughter of York.” As for being like me, I don’t think I’m nearly as strong a personality as she was, but I was a tomboy in my youth -- always hanging upside down from trees or swimming like a fish in the Red Sea near Suez, where I spent some of my childhood. I was also a military wife in my first marriage and have moved 23 times in my life. I think Cecily is more liked my older sister, to whom I dedicated “Queen By Right.” I’m more like Cecily’s daughter, Margaret.

2.) The Author’s Notes explain that Cecily was at Rouen roughly the same time as Joan of Arc. Therefore, you create a powerful scene between these two women that affects Cecily throughout the remainder of her life. I liked that, but felt that at times, Cecily fixated on Joan and her manner of death too much. Is there a particular reason why you did this? Does it go with how people thought during this time, especially with regards to religion being so important? (I just thought this fixation on Joan didn’t mesh with Cecily’s strong personality. Please pardon me if this is wacky question.)

Ah, but maybe you did not grow up in the medieval way of thinking, Jenny! Much of their daily life revolved around their strong belief in religion. The church bells were always ringing to call the faithful to church; people knew exactly which saint took care of what particular problem in their lives; and they were taught to look for heavenly portents or miracles and many thought they got messages from God. Joan’s story must have captivated especially young girls in the day -- and don’t forget Cecily was only 15 when she watched Joan die -- and just like teens today have their idols who they wish they could be, I think Cecily would have loved to have been Joan as she donned men’s armor and rode into battle. Granted, I used dramatic license for the scene between Cecily and Joan, but I don’t think it goes against Cecily’s personality at all to call upon the strength Joan must have had to face her inquisitor day after day for three months and then bravely endure death at the stake. I think it made Cecily all the stronger from that day forth.

3.) Between Henry’s illness and the Lords of the kingdom bickering, do you think if women had some say things would have been different?

Of course! What has changed over the centuries, Jenny? I still think we’d have far fewer conflicts today if women were in charge.

4.) As I read your book and remember who was who, and what they did as adults, it makes me shake my head in amazement. When you research these characters, do you find yourself doing the same thing? Does history continually amaze you?

Yes, history does continue to amaze me and that’s why I find the research so fun and compelling. Writing about real people has made me firmly believe in the saying: Fact is stranger than fiction. What could be a stranger or more mysterious story than Perkin Warbeck’s (see “The King’s Grace”)?

5.) You are also a member of the Richard III Society. I have always been curious about this society. Can you explain what this Society is about or it’s purpose? (Again my apologies if this question is a bit wacky.)

Not at all! The Society has been in existence in one form or another since the 1920s and was formed to try and right the bad reputation Richard III was given by those writing for the Tudors in the Tudor times, like Shakespeare. The parent branch is in the UK but there is an active branch here in the US as well is in Australia and Canada. I am guessing there are close to 2,000 members worldwide trying to help re-write the language surrounding Richard’s kingship in encyclopedias and reference books.

6.) I understand the Medieval Period is your favorite, but what would be your number two favorite?

I grew up reading Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances and fell in love with the Regency period -- and Jane Austen is also a favorite author, who wrote in that period and brought that era to life for me.

7.) What can we see from you in the future? Could Margaret of Anjou ever have her story told? She was quite the character!

Margaret has just been “done” by Susan Higginbotham, Jenny. May I just say that I wouldn’t be able to write a book about someone I don’t like one bit! As for my next book, it is about Jane Shore, Edward IV’s favorite and last mistress.

Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, Anne has found her most engrossing character yet. Cecily earned two monikers from her contemporaries: Rose of Raby for her fair-haired beauty and Proud Cis for her fierce loyalty and courage in the face of the many history-making events she experienced in her eighty years. This was a woman who could have been queen had her husband lived to win the day over Henry VI and his queen, Margaret of Anjou, in the winter of 1461.

History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of Ludlow Castle, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, Duke of York who she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match, and together they face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue.

All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her own hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and the kingdom. As civil war escalates between the cousins of Lancaster and York, Cecily will lose her love, her favorite brother and her dearest child. But in the end, she will watch proudly as her oldest son takes his father’s place at the head of a victorious army and is crowned at Westminster Abbey as King Edward IV.

From the author's website:The year is 1811. As old King George III sinks deeper into madness and the threat of social unrest and revolution haunts the privileged classes, a beautiful young woman is found raped and savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient parish church not far from Westminster Abbey. An ornate dueling pistol discovered tangled in the blood-soaked folds of Rachel York's cloak and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars. When a vicious attack during his arrest leaves a constable near death, Sebastian must run for his life.

Now a fugitive, Sebastian calls upon his experience as an agent during the war to embark on a desperate quest to catch a brutal killer and prove his own innocence. Ranging from the glittering ballrooms and sedate salons of Mayfair to the squalid back alleys and fetid churchyards of St. Giles, Sebastian accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including a street urchin named Tom, an opium-eating Irish doctor, and a lovely but mysterious actress who calls herself Kat Boleyn. Years ago, Kat broke Sebastian's heart. Now she may hold the key to his salvation—or doom him to destruction.

For as he plunges into a world of intrigue and espionage, Sebastian discovers that Rachel York was more than what she seemed. When the twisted path leads from a French spymaster to a Machiavellian power broker, and from there to the future Prince Regent, Sebastian begins to realize that Rachel's death holds ominous implications not only for Sebastian's own family, but for the future of the British monarchy.

My Thoughts:

What a page turner! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a little bit of everything: a handsome and slightly damaged hero, horse chases, daring escapes, and a taste of what life was like in Regency England, on both sides of the tracks. I swear I could smell the dirty streets on the seedy side. Oh and the political intrigue. This takes place right around the time when George III was declared unfit to rule and his son the Prince of Wales was installed as the Prince Regent, ruling in his stead. The Whigs and Tories are at odds with one another about who will control things, and these political machinations have an influence on why the young lady was killed.

Even though I figured out early on who the killer was, it did not diminish my reading experience. The journey to the conclusion was exciting. Sebastian is not the son his father wanted to carry on the family legacy, but as there are no other sons, Sebastian is the only choice. Being third choice is painfully clear to Sebastian and he has spent the a better part of his life trying to rid himself of these feelings of not being well loved or unwanted. Father and son eventually hash things out, and Sebastian finally comes to terms with the situation, but in his own way.

Part of Sebastian's familial problems arise from a romance he had long ago with Rachel York. Rachel comes back to town and the attraction is hard to deny. She also has a past, aside from what she shares with Sebastian, that comes into play with the story. This was another interesting element that I hope is explored in a future book from the series. Overall this book had everything for me and I couldn't read fast it enough.

Thanks to whoever recommended this book to me or had that review that finally made me borrow it from the library. I know this series has been all over the net, but there was one review that made me instantly request it from the library. My bad for not remembering who it was.
2011 Challenges Met: Mystery & Suspense, HF

Home of the Three Reasons Review

About Me

I adore reading, knitting, watching TV, and laughing with friends. I occasionally go on a health kick too, but balance it with ice cream.
I'll never accomplish everything I would like, but I will sure as hell try.
Life is too short!